Applied Materials, Inc. vs SoundHound AI Inc — how do they compare? Applied Materials, Inc. trades at $548 (market cap $417.31B), while SoundHound AI Inc trades at $7.41 (market cap $3.29B). The key difference: Applied Materials, Inc. is far larger — about 126.8× SoundHound AI Inc's market cap, and Applied Materials, Inc. pays a 0.4% dividend while SoundHound AI Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AMAT | SOUN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $417.31B | $3.29B |
Sector | Technology | Technology |
52-Week High | $723.00 | $21.40 |
52-Week Low | $156.25 | $5.70 |
Enterprise Value | $416.34B | $3.09B |
Dividend Yield | 0.4% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Applied Materials (AMAT) trades at $522.12, down 3.16% on the day, amid a neutral technical signal with support at $510 and resistance at $546. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.86 surpassing the $2.68 forecast. Strong profitability is evident with a net margin of 29.31% and ROE of 39.69%, though valuation ratios like a P/E of 49.45 are elevated. Recent news highlights robust AI-driven demand in semiconductor equipment, with CEO Gary Dickerson calling it the industry's strongest period ever (CNBC, 2026-05-28).
The outlook remains positive given analyst consensus with a $662.82 price target and 76.9% buy ratings, but risks include high valuation sensitivity and cyclical semiconductor capital spending. Revenue growth to $29.0B in 2026 with a projected 29.31% net margin supports upside, though investors should monitor competitive pressures and macroeconomic impacts on tech spending.
SoundHound AI (SOUN) trades at $7.40, down 0.8% on the day, with strong technical momentum indicated by bullish moving averages. The company shows impressive revenue growth of 45% in Q2 2026 and has beaten earnings expectations for three consecutive quarters. Recent news highlights the proposed LivePerson acquisition and the successful launch of the OASYS platform, which is accelerating enterprise adoption and driving improved guidance.
While growth prospects appear promising with 75% analyst buy ratings and an $8.50 consensus target, significant risks remain including persistent negative margins (-67.45% net income margin), high valuation multiples (P/S 15.31), and substantial cash burn. The stock offers growth potential but requires careful risk management given the premium valuation and path to profitability challenges.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Applied Materials is the world's largest supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, providing materials engineering solutions to help make nearly every chip in the world. The firm's systems are used in nearly every major process step with the exception of lithography. Key tools include those for chemical and physical vapor deposition, etching, chemical mechanical polishing, wafer- and reticle-inspection, critical dimension measurement, and defect-inspection scanning electron microscopes.
Read more on AMAT →SoundHound AI, Inc. is a leading innovator in voice artificial intelligence, specializing in conversational intelligence technology. The company develops a platform that allows businesses to add custom voice assistants and natural language processing capabilities to their products and services, ranging from in-car systems and smart speakers to mobile apps and IoT devices. SoundHound's core technology, including its proprietary speech recognition and natural language understanding models, aims to enable fast, accurate, and deeply integrated voice AI experiences across various industries.
Read more on SOUN →